We use cookies to customise content for your subscription and for analytics.If you continue to browse Lexology, we will assume that you are happy to receive all our cookies. For further information please read our Cookie Policy.

CGB Grants Waiver Petition of National Grid USA, Inc. to Use d/b/a’s During Automated Calls

On November 16, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau released an Order allowing National Grid USA, Inc. to provide only its state-registered DBA name rather than the company’s legal or official name when making artificial or prerecorded voice message calls. The Commission’s rules normally require that all artificial or prerecorded voice telephone messages must “[a]t the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, individual, or other entity that is responsible for initiating the call,” which includes providing “the legal name under which the business, individual, or entity calling is registered to operate” within the state. The Bureau found that in National Grid’s case, however, a waiver of these requirements is appropriate because the company’s customers are more familiar with the DBA than its legal name, the DBA has been properly registered with the appropriate regulatory body in each state in which National Grid conducts business (thereby allowing customers to search for it in state or local databases), and the company only uses prerecorded calls for limited, emergency-related purposes. This decision is a departure from previous cases in which the Commission rejected the notion that a DBA name alone is sufficient to comply with the identification rules.

Related topic hubs

Compare jurisdictions: Telecoms

In common with many in-house lawyers, I have limited access to (and a limited budget for) resources and rely on receiving know-how from friends and contacts in private practice. Lexology is great as it provides a daily email with the headlines in all the areas of law that I am interested in (which are all relevant to me, as I was able to choose which areas I was interested in at registration), with links to articles from a wide variety of sources.

I tend to scroll through the daily email when I am having my lunch, reading the headlines and descriptions of the articles, and click on any items that are of interest to me - that way, I feel like I am kept 'in the loop' with legal developments.

In addition to the daily email, I find the articles themselves very helpful - they set out the legal principle but most importantly, they 'boil it down' to the practical implications. When I am doing legal research, I also find the archive search function very helpful.

I have recommended the service to quite a few friends who have also found it very helpful."